Sydney FC fly the flag for Australia in Asian Champions League

For the better part of two years, Sydney FC have been Australia's best and, by the end of this season, they could be remembered as the competition's greatest. Beyond that, they believe they can be the kings of Asia.

Not since Brisbane Roar in 2012 has an Australian team entered the Asian Champions League campaign on the back of such success and form than the current Sydney FC team.

They broke a plethora of records after winning the domestic double last season and are on track to set several more this campaign and are 12 points clear at the top of the A-League table.

On the back of this form, their coach Graham Arnold believes there is no reason why the Sky Blues can't become the second Australian club to win Asia's greatest club football honour, alongside cross-town rivals Western Sydney Wanderers. That begins with a win over Suwon Bluewings in their opening match on Wednesday night at Allianz Stadium.

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Sydney FC coach Graham Arnold smiles during team training at Macquarie University on Tuesday.Credit:Brendan Esposito

"We're not only playing for Sydney FC but we're playing for the whole of Australia," Arnold said. "We're representing the A-League, we want to show the rest of Asia not only how good we are but how strong the A-League can be. Tomorrow night, we're not only representing Sydney FC but the whole of Australian football and I expect a great performance tomorrow night."

It's not just the belief within Sydney FC's ranks they can achieve that honour, but their determination to restore the A-League's status in Asian football. Much of that was damaged last year after uninspiring performances from Western Sydney Wanderers, Adelaide United and Brisbane Roar that saw no Australian team come close to progressing past the group stage.

It was continued when the Roar failed to qualify for this year's tournament, stumbling at home to minnows from the Philippines, Ceres-Negros in the qualifiers.

The omens are good. While Arnold has successfully guided teams to the knockout stages, he has never done so with a team as strong as the current Sydney side. Then there's benefits to their scheduling. With the tournament starting more than a week earlier than last year, their opponents are short of match fitness with games held earlier in the pre-season. For the first time, Australian clubs competing have been afforded generous A-League schedules from the FFA that account for travel.

"When I was at the Mariners, we probably had the smallest budget in Asia but we got to the last 16. We got to the last 16 here at Sydney but probably scraped through. But, with this squad we can probably go the whole way, I think we can win. When you have the calibre of the strikers you've got there's always a great chance to score goals. We have a great defensive structure that can defend as well."

That defensive structure will be tested with the absence of Dutch defender Jordy Buijs, who is the unlucky foreigner to be omitted from Sydney FC's Champions League squad. Young defender Aaron Calver is set to receive his first start of the season in place of Buijs. The 22-year-old battled injury at the start of the season but has worked his way back towards match fitness with the youth team and Arnold is confident Calver can keep Sydney's defence tight against the Korean giants.

"I have a lot of faith and a lot of trust in Aaron every time he's played for us. He's back from a knee injury, he's played a lot of football in the last six weeks with the NYL [National Youth League] and in house friendly games," Arnold said.